The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present teachings and may not constitute prior art.
Compressors are utilized to compress refrigerant for refrigeration systems, such as air conditioning, refrigeration, etc. During the compression of the refrigerant within the compressor, a significant quantity of heat can be generated. This heat can result in the temperature of the discharged refrigerant being excessively high. A reduction in the discharge temperature of the refrigerant can increase the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system. Additionally, a reduction of the compression heat can increase the efficiency of the compressor. Thus, it would be advantageous to reduce the temperature during the compression process. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to reduce the temperature of the discharged refrigerant exiting the compressor. It would be even more advantageous if the refrigerant compression approached quasi-isothermal compression.
A refrigeration system according to the present teachings can incorporate a liquid-injection system that provides a cooling liquid to an intermediate-pressure location of the compressor. The cooling liquid can absorb the heat of compression during the compression of the refrigerant flowing therethrough. The cooling liquid can be externally separated from the refrigerant flow and injected back into the intermediate-pressure location. The cooling liquid can thereby advantageously decrease the temperature of the compression process and the temperature of the refrigerant being discharged by the compressor. The liquid-injection system can result in an increased cooling capacity and/or an increased efficiency for the refrigeration system.
A refrigeration system according to the present teachings can also include vapor injection of a refrigerant flow into an intermediate-pressure location of the compressor through an economizer circuit. The incorporation of the vapor injection in conjunction with the cooling-liquid injection can advantageously increase the cooling capacity and/or efficiency of the refrigeration system and the performance of the compressor.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present claims.